Identifying and serving new electricity grid markets

Project state

Started

The NEMAR project (network management as a new market role) has resulted from the increasing demands made on decentralised power generators and loads to contribute to ancillary services, system stability and supply security. By jointly coordinating the electricity market participants in the distribution grid, the researchers are aiming to create a new market role.

Through jointly coordinating the generators, storage systems and loads at the grid levels in the low- and medium-voltage range as well as the distribution grid as an important key player, the researchers want to create a new "network management" market role. This shall be utilised as part of the liberalised electricity market.

A new player in the market shall represent the units present in the distribution grid. Merging the information will enable it to manage this system cost-effectively and efficiently. Possible application areas include trading on the spot market, balancing energy markets, the provision of ancillary services, the generation of avoided grid charges, or entirely new services that could arise during the transformation of the power grids.

Three tools will lead to the success of the project

In this project, the project partners are developing three instruments for organising the player’s new market role (Figure 1), with whose help they are first of all conceiving the new market role and then assessing it in subsequent test operation.

Interaction of the three instruments: Long-term expansion planning, short-term scheduling and the data platform

A model-based, long-term expansion plan is being used to develop the basic structure of the system and the possible expansion and development paths. Fraunhofer ISE is coordinating the model development.

In addition, short-term operational planning is also being developed that regulates the underground operation in the distribution grid. For this purpose, Fraunhofer ISE is developing a tool that optimises the management of decentralised systems, i.e. generators, storage systems and influenceable loads integrated in the overall system.

To enable this new market role to act also requires high-resolution measurements at different points in the distribution grid that work "in-time" and are merged for the player in a data platform. The platform is modelled in such a way that it allows great flexibility for changes and enhancements in the distribution grid and also enables their transfer to other distribution grids without significant additional effort. The data platform is being developed and implemented by the University of Stuttgart in cooperation with Fichtner IT Consulting AG and Seven2one Informationssysteme GmbH. The University of Stuttgart is focussing on the concept development and Fichtner IT Consulting AG and Seven2one Informationssysteme GmbH are focussing on implementing the data platform.

Recommendations for action thanks to large data basis

The development is aimed at enabling the player to access data about the current network state at any time. Based on the findings from developing the concept, model-based studies, implementing the data platform and interconnecting the elements in the test operation, the intention is not only to provide an assessment of the new market role but also derive recommendations for action for operators of generating plants, storage systems and the distribution grid. The field test shall simultaneously provide information on the technical restrictions limiting the capabilities of the new market role. Two municipal utilities are currently involved in the project for the field test, whose measurements will provide the investigations with a real database. Test runs are also being carried out with the municipal utility companies.